A December Wedding at the Tabard Inn | Stephanie & Duane

February 2, 2018

Stephanie and Duane had a December wedding, full of wintery magic, right here in the heart of DC. Everything is always so festive and decorated this time of year, especially at one of our favorite venues, the Tabard Inn! Just look at that tinsel and giant wreath 😍 Stephanie and Duane had an intimate wedding a few days before Christmas at the cozy DC landmark with photos by Barbara O.

We asked Stephanie and Duane to share some of their story with us…

How did you two meet?

We met almost ten years ago while working part-time at the Ikea in Woodbridge, VA. We worked together in the kid’s play area section. Duane had just graduated high school and I (Stephanie) was a senior in high school. We started dating about a year after we met and have been together ever since.

When did you decide to get married?

We started dating when we were both teenagers. In the beginning it felt like marriage was a possibility, but something in the distant future, since we were so young. As the years passed by and we shared so many milestones together (graduating college, getting our first real jobs, moving into an apartment together, getting a puppy together), we started talking more and more about marriage.

Duane proposed last July on my birthday. He knows I HATE being the center of attention, so he proposed at home, and even included our puppy! He put the engagement ring in Rory’s collar and told me that Rory had a present for me.

How did you decide who to invite to your tiny wedding?

We knew we wanted to have both of our immediate families at our wedding. It was important to have our parents, grandparents, and siblings be there with us. We also invited a few of our very closest friends; people that we have known for a very long time and are practically family to us.

What was your favorite part of your wedding day?

All of it! The day was so much fun! We really enjoyed the photo shoot with Barbara. Neither of us have ever done a professional photo shoot before, but Barbara made us feel super relaxed. We were thrilled with how great the photos turned out!

But the best part of the day was the actual getting married part. It was short and sweet, just what we wanted! We were so happy to have all of the important people in our lives be apart of this special moment. Even though we had a non-traditional wedding, Stephanie was really happy that her Dad still walked her down the aisle and they could share that special moment together.

Where did you find your wedding outfits?

The Tabard Inn is also such a perfect wedding venue for our Giant Wedding package. Look at this gorgeous table setting! And, I mean, the festive December wedding decor is definitely adding to the vibe but I have no doubt it’d be beautiful during any other season, too.

Hey! I'm Maggie. I'm one of the co-founders of Pop! Wed Co. and an Art Director at iStrategyLabs. I chase pure happiness with my puppy and listen to ska along the way. Find me most anywhere @moonstompmaggie.